Random packing elements and column containing same

ABSTRACT

A saddle-shaped random packing element is provided with laterally spaced, arcuate side members and a plurality of inner and outer rib elements that extend from and between the side members to form an interior volume. At least one lesser rib element extends from the side members and is at least partially positioned within the interior volume so that at least about 20 percent of the surface area of the packing element is positioned within the interior volume.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/866,278, filed Oct. 2, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,722,945,which claims the priority benefits under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) ofearlier-filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/828,900, filedon Oct. 10, 2006, the entirety of the disclosure of which is herebyspecifically incorporated herein by this reference thereto.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to mass transfer devices for usewith chemical process and mass transfer reactors and columns and, moreparticularly, to random packing elements for use in such reactors andcolumns. The invention also relates to methods of making and using suchrandom packing elements.

Random or dumped packing elements are normally employed in gas-liquid orliquid-liquid contact towers or columns to provide mass transfersurfaces between a downwardly flowing fluid, typically a liquid stream,and an upwardly ascending fluid, typically gas or vapor stream oranother liquid stream. Random packing elements may be used in a varietyof chemical and treatment processes, such as, for example,rectification, stripping, fractionating, absorbing, separating, washing,extraction, or any other chemical, heat exchange, or treatment-typeprocesses. Generally, the discrete random packing elements have aspecific geometric shape and are designed to maximize performance for agiven mass transfer surface area. Because the random packing elementsare generally dumped or randomly packed into the column shell in anarbitrarily orientated packed bed, it is desirable for the individualrandom packing elements to have both high mass transfer efficiency andgood hydraulic capacity when positioned in multiple rotationalorientations within the packed bed.

Random packing elements of the prior art exist in a variety of shapesand materials. In general, random packing elements are constructed ofmetal, ceramic-type material, plastics, glass, or the like. Commonly,random packing elements are cylindrical, arcuate or “saddle-shaped” orhave other, non-arcuate shapes such as spherical, toroidal, and thelike. One disadvantage of the random packing elements of the prior artis that often the performance of the element is highly dependent on itsconfiguration and its orientation with respect to the direction of flowof fluid streams through the element within the packed bed. For example,a Pall ring is a well-known cylinder-type packing that has a pluralityof slotted walls and internal tongues or projections. When viewed alongits longitudinal axis, the Pall ring presents very little surface areafor mass transfer, but, when viewed perpendicularly to its longitudinalaxis, the element presents a very large surface area. Because of thisdifference, the surface areas available for vapor/liquid orliquid/liquid contact vary with the orientation of the element, which,ultimately, affects the element's performance. In addition, the largesurface area in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis ofthe Pall ring is disadvantageous in that it tends to “shield” or inhibitfluid flow through immediately adjacent rings in the downstream flowdirection.

A random packing element having a more uniform distribution of surfacearea throughout its entire volume is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.5,112,536 (also referred to herein as the '536 patent). Thesaddle-shaped random packing element disclosed therein includesalternating arched inner and outer rib elements that define an interiorvolume. While the packing element disclosed in the '536 patent providesimprovements over other random packing elements of the prior art, italso includes limitations that can hinder its performance. For example,the curvature of the packing element disclosed in the '536 patent causesthe inner rib elements to be positioned closely together in the samecurved plane, thereby restricting the flow paths for fluid streamspassing through the element. In addition, because the ribs of thepacking element of the '536 patent are generally centrallylongitudinally aligned, the first rib element encountered by a fluidstream typically shields the subsequent rib elements from fluid contact.This shielding effect can reduce mass transfer efficiency by reducingthe element's effective surface area for mass and/or heat transfer.

Another type of random packing element is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.5,882,772. In that patent, a plurality of individual strips is providedand each strip extends in a generally sinusoidal fashion between planarouter web attachment areas. A similar random packing element isdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,543,088 in which a plurality of stripsextends between planar end attachment areas. In both of these patents,the individual strips are connected together along their midpoints,thereby providing an area where the strips are crowded together andthrough which passage of gas is impeded. In addition, the packingelements must be made from material of sufficient thickness and strengthto resist deformation of the planar outer webs or attachment areas. Itwould be desirable for the random packing element to have aconfiguration that resists deformation using relatively thinner gaugematerial.

Thus, a need exists for a random packing element that maintains highmass transfer efficiency and good hydraulic capacity when positioned inmultiple different rotational orientations within the packed bed.Advantageously, the packing element should be easily manufactured withlittle or no waste material and possess a configuration that morereadily resists the type of deformation described above.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention provides a saddle-shaped randompacking element with a generally uniform open flow volume whenpositioned in multiple rotational orientations in relation to thedirection of flow of fluids encountering the packing element. Thesaddle-shaped element of the present invention comprises a pair oflaterally spaced, longitudinally elongated, arcuate side members whichmay include radially upright flanges. The side members cooperativelydefine a longitudinal axis of the inventive packing element. Inaddition, the packing element comprises a plurality of inner and outerarched rib elements extending from and between the side members tocooperatively define an interior volume within the packing element. Theinner and/or outer rib elements may be aligned with or alternatinglymisaligned from the longitudinal axis of the packing element. The outerrib elements can have a width which is the same as or up to or more thantwice the width of the inner rib elements. The total number of inner andouter rib elements can be in the range of from about 3 to about 20. Theuse of the term “arched” in describing the rib elements is intended toencompass rib elements that have a curved shape as well as those formedfrom multiple straight lines, such as those having a “V” shape, orcombinations of curves and straight lines.

The saddle-shaped random packing element of the present invention alsocomprises at least one rib element that is of a lesser height than theinner and outer rib elements and is longitudinally disposed betweenconsecutive inner and/or outer rib elements. The lesser rib elementincludes at least one drip point and is at least partly disposed in theinterior volume of the packing element. The lesser rib elements can beat least partly continuous or at least one rib element may be madediscontinuous to thereby create two shorter rib segments that each havea free end. The rib segments can be independently positioned, such as bybeing bent in radially opposite directions or in the same radialdirection.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, at leastabout 20 percent of the total surface area of the random packing elementis defined within the interior volume. Compared to random packingelements of the prior art, the shape and configuration of the inventiveelement increase mass transfer efficiency by providing a more uniformsurface area distribution and less restricted fluid flow paths when thepacking elements are positioned in multiple different rotationalorientations within a packed bed in a reactor or column.

In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a mass transferbed, and a reactor or column containing same, in which a plurality ofthe random packing elements described above are positioned in agenerally random orientation to provide a zone in which mass and/or heattransfer between or among fluid streams may occur.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings that form part of the specification and areto be read in conjunction therewith, and in which like referencenumerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of one embodiment of the random packingelement of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is top plan view of the random packing element illustrated inFIG. 1, shown on a slightly enlarged scale from that shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 through 13 are various perspective views of the random packingelement shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIGS. 14 through 26 are various perspective views of another embodimentof a random packing element constructed in accordance with the presentinvention; and

FIG. 27 is a fragmentary schematic view of a column or reactorcontaining a packed bed formed from the random packing elements of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail and initially to FIGS.1-13, one embodiment of a generally saddle-shaped random packing elementin accordance with the present invention is represented generally by thenumeral 10. The packing element 10 comprises an arcuate body 11 formedin the shape of a partial torus. The arcuate body 11 can represent inthe range of from about 5 to about 50 percent or from 10 to 25 percentof the volume of the torus. In the particular illustrated embodiment,the arcuate body 11 of packing element 10 represents approximately 25%of the volume of a complete torus.

The packing element 10 comprises a pair of laterally-spaced,longitudinally elongated, generally parallel, arcuate side members 12and 14. The side members 12 and 14 optionally, but preferably, haveradially upright flange elements 16 and 18 to thereby form two troughs20 and 22 that serve to channel liquid along the surface of the packingelement 10 in the direction of the longitudinal ends of the arcuate body11 of packing element 10. The arcuate configuration of the side members12 and 14 and the flanges 16 and 18 provide a configuration which isresistant to deformation, thereby allowing the use of less-expensive andlighter-gauge materials in comparison to certain prior art randompacking elements. As an addition or alternative to the flange elements16 and 18, the side members 12 and 14 may be strengthened by embossing,being formed in a sinusoidal or other wave profile, or by other methods.

The random packing element 10 also includes a plurality of inner andouter arched rib elements generally designated by the numerals 24 and26, respectively. Rib elements 24 and 26. generally extend from andbetween side members 12 and 14 along the length of the arcuate body 11of the packing element 10. Opposite ends of rib elements 24 and 26 areintegral with, or are otherwise connected to, the side members 12 and14, respectively. As used herein, the term “outer rib element” refers toa rib element extending in a direction generally outward away from thelocus of the radius of the packing element's arcuate body 11. As usedherein, the term “inner rib element” refers to a rib element extendingin a direction generally inward toward the locus of the radius of thepacking element's arcuate body 11. Each of the outer and/or inner ribelements 24 and 26 may extend generally outward and/or inward,respectively, along a radius of the arcuate body 11 of packing element10. Alternately, some or all of the inner and/or outer rib elements 24and 26 may extend at an angle intersecting the radius. Arrows 27 a and27 b, respectively, generally designate the radially inward and theradially outward directions in relation to the packing element 10 inFIG. 1. The total number of inner and outer rib elements 24 and 26 cangenerally be in the range of from about 3 to about 20 or from 5 to 17.Four inner rib elements 24 and five outer rib elements 26 are present inthe illustrated embodiment of packing element 10.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-13, inner and outer arched rib elements 24 and26 define a generally arcuate, interior volume 28 within the arcuatebody 11 between, above and below the side members 12 and 14. The degreeof accessibility of the interior volume for vapor and/or liquid passagecan be facilitated in part by the size, shape, and orientation of innerand outer arched rib elements 24 and 26. In one embodiment, inner andouter arched rib elements 24 and 26 each extend generally radially andare essentially the same height.

Rib elements 24 and 26 can be centrally longitudinally aligned, or,preferably, can be alternatingly misaligned from a center longitudinalaxis 30 of the arcuate body, as best illustrated in FIG. 2. Thismisalignment creates points of vapor/liquid contact rather than theplane of fluid contact created by centrally aligned rib elements. Inaddition, the misalignment serves to open the longitudinal fluid flowpath through interior volume 28 of the arcuate body 11 of packingelement 10 by minimizing the shielding effect that results fromconsecutive, centrally aligned rib elements. Further, the longitudinalmisalignment can reduce the tendency of one or more ribs of one randompacking element 10 to become interposed within one or more rib elementsof other random packing elements 10 in a randomly packed bed, anoccurrence sometimes referred to as “nesting.” Nesting reduces masstransfer efficiency and can promote liquid and vapor channeling withinthe packed bed.

The width of each inner rib element 24 and each outer rib element 26 maybe independently selected for the desired performance in particularapplications. As an example, the width of the outer rib elements 26 maybe the generally the same as or up to or more than twice the width ofthe inner rib elements 24. Because of the curvature of the arcuate bodyof the packing element 10, the inner arched rib elements 24 arepositioned more closely together as they extend radially inward, as isbest seen in FIG. 1. Therefore, narrower inner arched rib elements 24can minimize flow path restrictions experienced by fluid streams flowingthrough the packing element 10 in a radially outward directiondesignated by the arrow 27 b. As can best be seen in FIG. 1, the innerrib elements 24 positioned further from the ends of the arcuate body 11can have a smaller width than the inner rib elements 24 positionedcloser to the ends so that more open space is provided between the innerrib elements 24. Additionally or alternatively, the number of inner ribelements 24 can be reduced and/or the inner rib elements can be bentoutwardly from the radial direction to provide greater spacing betweenadjacent inner rib elements 24.

As an example, the width of the inner arched rib elements 24 canindependently be greater than about 1 millimeter (mm), greater thanabout 1.5 mm, or greater than 2 mm. The width of the outer arched ribelements 26 can independently be less than about 5 mm, less than about4.5 mm, or less than 4 mm in order to avoid the creation of stagnant,low-mass-transfer wake zones that form on the outer or downstream sideof excessively wide rib elements. These wake zones are generallyundesirable in that they reduce the mass transfer efficiency of therandom packing element 10.

The packing element 10 additionally comprises one or more lesser ribelements 32 of a height which is less than inner and outer rib elements24 and 26. Lesser rib element 32 is longitudinally disposed betweenconsecutive alternating outer and inner rib elements 24 and 26 and, inone embodiment, is connected at its opposite ends to side members 12 and14. In another embodiment, one or both ends of one or more of the lesserrib elements 32 may be joined to an adjacent rib element 32, 24, or 26,rather than the side members 12 and 14. The lesser rib element 32 is atleast partly located in the interior volume 28 of the arcuate body 11 ofpacking element 10 to more evenly distribute the mass transfer surfacethroughout the volume of the packing element 10. Generally, at leastabout 20 percent, at least about 40 percent, or at least 50 percent ofthe total surface area of the random packing element 10 is locatedwithin the interior volume 28 of the arcuate body 11 of packing element10. In the illustrated embodiment, approximately 38 percent of the totalsurface area of random packing element 10 is located within interiorvolume 28.

The lesser rib elements 32 may independently be continuous,discontinuous, or any combination thereof, and bent or shaped in anyway. In one embodiment, one or more of the lesser rib elements may becontinuous and bent, for example, in the form of a sine wave with one ormore peaks and troughs that provide drip points within the interiorarcuate space 28. As referred to herein, the term “drip point” refers toany continuous or discontinuous edge or point from which liquid may fallor drip. Drip points cause the liquid falling therefrom to form smalldroplets, which facilitate enhanced vapor contact to thereby increasemass transfer efficiency.

In another embodiment, one or more of the lesser rib elements 32 may becut and made discontinuous, thereby forming two rib segments 34 a and 34b that may be independently oriented within the interior volume 26 ofthe packing element 10. As one example, the rib segments 34 and 34 b mayremain substantially in the form of a sine wave, but with their freeends offset to form spaced apart drip points. In another example, therib segments 34 a and 34 b may both be bent in the same radialdirections to form mirror images of each other when viewed about aradial plane passing between the rib segments.

The width of the lesser rib elements 32 can be the same or differentfrom the width of the inner and outer rib elements 24 and 26 that extendin the same radial direction. In the illustrated packing element 10,each lesser rib element 32 has approximately the same width as the twoinner rib elements 24 that are positioned inwardly from the ends of thearcuate body 11.

The number and arrangement of the inner and outer rib elements 24 and 26and the lesser rib elements 32 along the longitudinal length of thepacking element 10 can be varied to suit particular applications.Preferably, the rib elements 24, 26, and 32 remain spaced apart fromadjacent rib elements 24, 26, and 32 along their entire lengths, exceptat their respective ends, so that the packing element 10 has a more openconfiguration that reduces the opportunity for blocking the desired flowof fluids through the packing element 10. In order to reduce theopportunity for rib segments 34 a and 34 b in one packing element 10 tohook rib elements 24, 26, 32, 34 a or 34 b in other packing elements 10,it is generally desired that the rib segments 34 a and 34 b not bepositioned on either longitudinal end of the packing element 10. Thus,the rib segments 34 a and 34 b are preferably positioned inwardly of thelongitudinal ends of the packing elements so that they are shielded byrib elements 24, 26 or 32 which are positioned at the ends of thepacking element 10.

In the illustrated embodiment of the packing element 10, each lesser ribelement 32 is positioned between a pair of inner and outer rib elements24 and 26. It is, of course, possible to independently position each ofthe lesser rib elements 32 between pairs of outer rib elements 26,between pairs of inner rib elements 24, or between any pairedcombination of rib elements 32, inner rib elements 24, and outer ribelements 26. In the illustrated embodiment of the packing element 10,inner rib elements 24 are at the ends of packing element 10, and fourlesser rib elements 32 are distributed between alternating inner andouter rib elements 24 and 26, with the two centrally positioned lesserrib elements 32 being severed to form equal-length rib segments 34 a and34 b. The number and arrangement of the various rib elements 24, 26, 32,34 a and 34 b can be varied to suit specific applications.

Another embodiment of a packing element of the present invention isshown in FIGS. 14-26 and is broadly designated by the numeral 110.Packing element 110 is similar to packing element 10 and the samereference numerals preceded by the prefix “1” are used to designate thesimilar elements.

Packing element 110 comprises an arcuate body 111 formed in the shape ofa partial torus. The arcuate body 111 defines approximately 15% of thevolume of a torus. The packing element 110 includes curved side members112 and 114 which include flange elements 116 and 118, respectively,that form troughs 120 and 122 that channel liquid to the longitudinalends of the arcuate body 111.

An inner arched rib element 124 is positioned at both longitudinal endsof the arcuate body 111 and outer arched rib elements 126 are positionedat intermediate positions along the side members 112 and 114. The innerrib elements 124 extend generally in a radially inward directionrepresented by the arrow 127 a and the outer rib elements 126 extend ina radially outward direction as designated by arrow 127 b. Together, theinner and outer rib elements 124 and 126 define a generally arcuateinterior volume 128 having a center longitudinal axis 130.

Four lesser rib elements 132 are positioned between adjacent pairs ofinner and outer rib elements 124 and 126. Each of the two innermostlesser rib elements 132 is discontinuous and forms rib segments 134 aand 134 b. The rib segments 134 a and 134 b and the rib elements 124,126 and 132 can be constructed, positioned, and oriented as previouslydescribed with respect to the corresponding elements in packing element10. In the illustrated embodiment, approximately 36 percent of the totalsurface area of random packing element 110 is located within interiorvolume 128. Preferably, the rib elements 124, 126, and 132 remain spacedapart from adjacent rib elements 124, 126, and 132 along their entirelengths, except at their respective ends, so that the packing element110 has a more open configuration that reduces the opportunity forblocking the desired flow of fluids through the packing element 110.

The random packing elements 10 and 110 of the present invention may bemade from a variety of materials, including, for example, ceramic,plastic, or metal. The random packing elements 10 and 110 may bestrengthened by work hardening, by texturing at least a portion of theelement's surface, embossing, at least a portion of the element'ssurface with dimples on one or both sides of at least a portion of theelement and/or by embossing a curved cross section to the various ribelements 124, 126, and 130 as shown with respect to packing element 110.The curved cross section preferably extends sufficiently far into theside members 112 and 114 to provide a structure that serves to disruptthe flow of fluid along troughs 120 and 122 and cause it to beredirected onto the rib elements 124, 126, and 132 rather than beingallowed to flow to the ends of the packing element 110. Dimples or otherflow disrupting structures can be positioned in the troughs 120 and 122to achieve the same purpose. The same construction may also be used inconnection with packing element 10.

The random packing elements 10 and 110 may be manufactured by a varietyof techniques. In one embodiment, the random packing elements of thepresent invention may be manufactured by the procedure described in U.S.Pat. No. 5,112,536, incorporated herein by reference, wherein thepacking elements are each formed from a single, flat sheet of materialand the inner, outer, and lesser rib elements together with the sidemembers, comprise substantially the total surface area of the sheetmaterial.

Turning to FIG. 27, a plurality of the random packing elements 10 and110 can be used to provide mass and/or heat transfer surface area in areactor and/or in a vapor/liquid or liquid/liquid contacting tower 36.The random packing elements 10 and/or 110 may be dumped into thesuitable supports in the column or reactor 36 to form a packed bed 38 orthey may be pre-arranged in a packed bed formation in a generally randomorientation prior to placement in the column or reactor 36. Thepreviously-discussed shape and configuration of the packing elements ofthe present invention create open, easily accessible fluid flow pathsand present a relatively uniform surface area distribution when viewedat multiple angles, which result in generally orientation-independentelement performance.

The following Examples illustrate the orientation-independentperformance of the inventive random packing element and is not intendedto limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Example 1

The mass transfer coefficient was calculated for three different randompacking elements: Comparative Element 1, a saddle-shaped random packingof the type illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,599; Comparative Element2, a saddle-shaped random packing element of the type illustrated inU.S. Pat. No. 5,882,772; and Inventive Element 3, the packing element 10illustrated in FIGS. 1-13.

The mass transfer coefficient for each packing element was calculatedfor each of ten different packing orientations, labeled A through I inTable 1, below. Orientations A through I correspond to the element beingpositioned at 0°, 45°, and 90° from the base position for each of thethree Cartesian axes. For each packing element, the mass transfercoefficient range was determined by subtracting the minimum from themaximum mass transfer coefficient among each position A through I. Theaverage mass transfer coefficient for each packing element was thendetermined by averaging the individual mass transfer coefficientscalculated for each orientation A through I.

In general, higher mass transfer coefficients indicate elements withhigher mass transfer efficiency and narrower mass transfer coefficientranges indicate less variability in the element's performance withchanging orientation. The mass transfer coefficient for orientations Athrough I, the mass transfer coefficient range, and the average masstransfer coefficient for Comparative Elements 1 and 2 and InventiveElement 3 are presented in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Mass Transfer Coefficients for Random Packing ElementsComparative Comparative Inventive Orientation Element 1 Element 2Element 3 A 1.00 1.02 1.18 B 1.05 1.02 1.09 C 0.97 0.87 1.09 D 0.96 1.021.20 E 1.05 1.02 1.18 F 1.08 0.98 1.09 G 1.07 1.00 1.10 H 1.08 1.00 1.13I 1.10 1.06 1.12 Range 0.19 0.14 0.11 Average 1.04 1.00 1.13

As shown in Table 1, Inventive Element 3 has a lower mass transfercoefficient range, a higher mass transfer coefficient for eachorientation, and a higher average mass transfer coefficient thanComparative Elements 1 and 2. Therefore, Inventive Element 3 has a moreefficient, less orientation-specific performance than ComparativeElements 1 and 2.

Example 2

Testing was conducted comparing the performance of the Inventive Element(packing element 110 shown in FIGS. 14-26) to that of four types ofcommercially-available random packings. A mixture of light hydrocarbonswas distilled at total reflux. The tower was run at a pressuresignificantly higher than atmospheric pressure—very typical of theconditions at which these mixtures are being processed in industry, andvery typical for the conditions at which random packing is often used.The tower diameter and bed depth were large enough to ensure thatindustrially relevant data were generated. Liquid samples from above andbelow the packed bed were analyzed to measure the packing efficiency.The maximum capacity of the packing was determined by increasing theheat input until the pressure drop increased very steeply with anyadditional heat input and entrainment from the top of the bed wassignificant (loss of efficiency). The results of the comparative testingare presented in Table 2.

TABLE 2 Relative Specific Relative Relative Surface Packing typeCapacity Efficiency Area Saddle-shaped high performance 1.00 1.28 1.66metal random packing: small size Saddle-shaped high performance 1.091.00 1.10 metal random packing: larger size Sinusoidally-shaped metal1.09 1.13 1.45 random packing: small size Sinusoidally-shaped metal 1.170.89 1.00 random packing: larger size Inventive Element 1.09 1.22 1.12

The test results demonstrate that Inventive Element achieved the same orhigher relative capacity and/or a higher relative efficiency using asmaller relative specific surface area than the comparative packingelements. The Inventive Element thus achieved both favorable relativecapacity and relative efficiency using a small relative specific surfacearea.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all the ends and objectives hereinabove set forth,together with other advantages that are inherent to the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to other features andsubcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of theclaims.

Since any possible embodiments may be made of the invention withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matterherein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

1. A random packing element comprising: a pair of laterally spaced,longitudinally elongated, arcuate side members which cooperativelydefine a curved longitudinal axis therebetween; a plurality ofoppositely extending arched inner and outer rib elements extending fromand between said side members to cooperatively define an interior volumetherebetween; and at least one lesser rib element longitudinallydisposed between said inner and outer arched rib elements, and at leastpartly disposed in said interior volume, wherein at least about 20percent of the total surface area of said saddle-shaped random packingelement is defined within said interior volume, and wherein said randompacking element represents from about 5 to about 50 percent of thevolume of a torus.
 2. The packing element of claim 1, wherein the totalnumber of said inner and outer rib elements is in the range of fromabout three to about twenty.
 3. The packing element of claim 2, whereinthe total number of said inner and outer rib elements is five.
 4. Thepacking element of claim 1, including a plurality of said lesser ribelements and wherein at least one of the lesser rib elements isdiscontinuous to thereby create first and second rib segments.
 5. Thepacking element of claim 4, wherein said first and second rib segmentsare bent in radially opposite directions.
 6. The packing element ofclaim 4, wherein said first and second rib segments are bent in the sameradial direction.
 7. The packing element of claim 1, wherein the widthof at least one of said outer rib elements is up to twice the width ofat least one of said inner rib elements.
 8. The packing element of claim1, wherein said packing element represents about 10 to about 25 percentof the volume of a torus.
 9. The packing element of claim 1, whereinsaid outer and/or inner rib elements are generally alternatinglymisaligned from said longitudinal axis.
 10. The packing element of claim1, wherein the width of at least one of said outer rib elements is thesame as or greater than twice the width of at least one of said innerrib elements.
 11. The packing element of claim 1, wherein the width ofsaid outer rib elements is less than about 5 millimeters and/or thewidth of said inner rib elements is greater than about 1 millimeters.12. The packing element of claim 1, wherein at least one of the lesserrib elements is at least partly continuous.
 13. The packing element ofclaim 1, wherein at least a portion of said total surface area of saidpacking element is textured.
 14. The packing element of claim 1, whereinat least some of said inner and outer rib elements have a cupped crosssection.
 15. The packing element of claim 1, wherein said packingelement is formed of metal.
 16. The packing element of claim 1, whereinsaid packing element is formed of plastic.
 17. The packing element ofclaim 1, including a structure positioned in one or both of the sidemembers to direct fluid flow from the one or both side members onto oneor more of the inner and outer rib elements and lesser rib element. 18.A column or reactor containing a packed bed comprising a plurality ofpacking elements of claim 1.